Lottabass

Reminds me of the old story of the kings new clothes....!

@RRocket Next time I order I will get some #2 circle which are probably closer to a #6 treble. Also, will investigate other brands. You know how different brands can be different sizes even though they call them the same number.

@RRocket I bought size 1, 1/0, 2/0, and 3/0. I just tried to match the circle to the treble. I think the circles are a bit larger. I may have to play around with sizes.

Poor handling of fish is mistreatment. I don't mistreat my dog and I don't mistreat my kids. I have no problem killing and eating fish but if they are to be released do it the right way.

@GRiver OUCH! I feel your pain! I got the hooks at Tackle Warehouse. I will post updates on this experiment and will report good and bad results. I intend to try these hooks on topwater baits and square bills fished through wood cover. As they say, we'll see what happens!

@Tim Kelly I have no experience with circles but read somewhere that they were fish grabbers, even though they don't look like it.

I had 2 goals in mind with this experiment. Reduce getting hooks in hand. I have Parkinsons and my hands shake and less feel and strength in my grip. Been to ER 4 times in the last 3 years for hook removal. Make it easier to remove a lure when it is in the gullet of a fish. My fears were that I would hook less fish, or that I would lose fish after they were hooked. I realize that this is early in this experiment as I have only fished 3 days this spring but the results are promising. I replaced the trebles on some of my jerkbaits and crankbaits with Gamakatsu Crankbait Circle Hooks. In the 3 days I fished I caught 17 bass and 2 crappie, all on jerkbaits except for 1 bass on a Frittside Jr. All had the rear hook firmly in the corner of the mouth. No big fish, all 12 to 16 inches. Didn't seem to affect the action of the lures and I hooked and landed everything that bit. I'm excited to see how this experiment plays out this year. If it goes south I have plenty of baits with trebles! Size 1 hooks

There are many ways to describe the sound of a big lunker wackin' a topwater. "Schlorp", "Ka-blooie", etc. I don't know how to write it but it's the sound of a '54 Buick being dropped in the lake!!!

So many birds singing in the spring. The sounds of nature sooth me when I'm struggling to catch fish.

Speed and depth of your lure and location where you present it (at fish) are the most important things. Color is an aid. I use different colors but rarely have seen any difference (but sometimes it does make a difference). Confidence in your lure, and color, selection is always important.

@Blue Raider Bob And if Mom had been with us I'm sure she would have stripped down to her bra and panties and dove for them teeth!

My Dad and I were crappie fishing and he had his dentures in his shirt pocket (he hated those things). He bent over to land a fish and "plunk" in went the falsies! We could see 'em on the bottom in 10 fow but all efforts to retrieve them failed. Mom was madder than a wet hen when we got home!

@LuckyLittleFisher I'll give you my 2 cents worth. I use a hand steer motor on my little boat and I have an Autoboat device (from Tiny Boat Nation) that I use in the late season when I'm fishing more open, deeper water. This device gives me Anchor Mode, or spot lock, which is absolutely invaluable in the wind. An electric steer motor is worthless when fishing shallow and in cover, which is what I do most of the year. Now if I had a big bass boat I would have an Ultrex to provide foot control steering with the advantage of having Spot Lock. Good luck with your decision!

I started a B.A.S.S. club in the 1970's. One of the projects I was most proud of were the Kids Fishing Clinics we would host every summer. The kids learned many things including how to handle fish and importance of protecting the resource.

When MLF started I thought what they were doing was a big improvement and I sent a letter to B.A.S.S. encouraging them to do the same or allow nets. No reply. My guess is that if Ray Scott was still there I would have at least gotten a reply.